Disney might acquire EA to become the next gaming giant

For as long as there have been video games, there have been titles released based on Disney’s many iconic properties. That said, the media giant has historically shied away from going all-in on game development, instead preferring to partner with other developers and publishers. According to one report however, Disney is looking to become the next gaming giant – perhaps even by acquiring EA.

In a report by Thomas Buckley via Bloomberg which details the current status of Disney as a whole in the wake of CEO Bob Iger’s return, the publication has claimed that one of Disney’s upcoming strategies appears to indicate their desire to go all-in on the video games industry, with Buckley stating:

“Iger's deputies are pushing him to consider a bolder transformation of Disney from gaming licensee to gaming giant through, say, an acquisition of Electronic Arts. But, as with everything else, he's been noncommittal.”

As mentioned in the report, Iger has not committed to any such strategy yet, and so this may simply be a case of throwing darts at a board to see what sticks. That said, the notion that Disney could buy a publisher as big as EA no longer seems implausible in the wake of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Disney has dipped its toes into game development in the past with its Disney Interactive Studios – though it was ultimately shuttered in 2016 in favour of partnering with other established publishers (such as what we have seen with PlayStation’s Spider-Man games; Square Enix’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy games; Firaxis Games’ Midnight Suns and all of the many different Star Wars titles).

Considering the success that they have had with these partnerships (for the most part), switching gears and going into game development themselves once again would be an interesting move.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of the report? Would buying EA be good or bad for the industry? Should Disney stick with its current strategy? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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